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"-'::l ' ,- 0 3 uod~() IV. ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES AND PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE None of the five alternatives discussed below will adversely impact historic and cultural resources, Indian trust assets, or environmental justice (Table 2). Therefore, these environmental factors will not be discussed in detail under the various alternatives. Other environmental factors that will be affected will be discussed under the appropriate alternative(s). Table 2. Summary of potential significant impacts associated with each of the five alternatives to control nonnative fish species in floodplain ponds along the Upper Colorado and Gunnison rivers. 11 I Environmental Factor I Alt. 1 I Alt. 2 I Alt. 3 I Alt. 4 IAlt. 5 I Vegetation and land Use 0 0 0 0 - -- Fish and Wildlfe Resources .0 0 0 0 0 Endangered Species - -- +++ ++ ++ 0 Historic and Cultural 0 0 0 0 0 Resources Socio-Economic Factors - - 0 - - 0 - -- Indian Trust Assets 0 0 0 0 0 Environmental Justice 0 0 0 0 0 1/ (+) indicates some positive impact; (+++) indicates the greatest positive impact; (-) indicates some negative impact; (---) indicates the greatest negative impact; (0) indicates no known impact. A. Alternative 1 - No Action. Under this alternative, nonnative, warmwater fish species in floodplain ponds along the Colorado and Gunnison rivers would continue to enter the river through outlets or during high streamflows that connect the ponds with the rivers. No additional impacts to vegetation and land use, historic and cultural resources, or socio-economic factors would result from this alternative because nothing would be done that would affect the present use and condition of floodplain ponds. Discharge water from ponds with outlets to the rivers would continue to be released into the rivers. During high spring streamflows, floodplain ponds would be connected with the river for varying lengths of time depending upon the runoff for any particular year, the rate of snow melt in the mountains, and elevation reached during flood cond it ions. Nonnative fishes would continue to occur in the floodplain ponds and chronic escapement of these fish would continue from ponds with outlets and during connections with the rivers during high streamflows. 14